WORLD CIVILIZATION

Detailed explanation-1: -Tyrian purple is a pigment made from the mucus of several species of Murex snail. Production of Tyrian purple for use as a fabric dye began as early as 1200 BC by the Phoenicians, and was continued by the Greeks and Romans until 1453 AD, with the fall of Constantinople.

Detailed explanation-2: -For centuries, the purple dye trade was centered in the ancient Phoenician city of Tyre in modern day Lebanon. The Phoenicians’ “Tyrian purple” came from a species of sea snail now known as Bolinus brandaris, and it was so exceedingly rare that it became worth its weight in gold.

Detailed explanation-3: -The Phoenicians were best known as traders in sought-after cloth dyed Tyrian purple – the precious dye extracted from a mollusk, the Murex Trunclulus.

Detailed explanation-4: -How is it made? Tyrian purple dye is challenging to produce. According to Pliny the Elder, it took thousands of snails to produce one ounce of dye. Once the snails were harvested from the sea, the mucus glands were removed and placed in a lead pot filled with brine.